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In a letter to the editor, Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, emphasizes that neither he nor the hotel industry are against unions, but they consider the Employee Free Choice Act to be a "direct assault against the rights of every American worker." McInerney's letter is in response to an editorial by Studs Turkel, whom McInerney says "refuses to acknowledge the fact that EFCA will eliminate a worker's right to a private ballot election."

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The housing market's improvement has been held back by "slower employment growth than we'd like," said Genworth Financial President and CEO Thomas McInerney. Refinancing volume is down because interest rates are up, he said. "Generally business is doing better," McInerney said about the company's first-quarter operations. "Our U.S. mortgage insurance business, helped by a slow but steady improvement in the housing market, and our long-term care business is making a comeback."

Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, said hotels had not been significantly affected by swine flu panic as of earlier this the week, and the effect will probably depend on whether significant outbreaks occur and in which countries. As with any disaster, the effects should be short-term, and hotel operators should have an emergency plan in place and follow CDC recommendations until the threat passes.

It looks like Shangri-La Hotels is pulling out of plans for a hotel in New York, not long after also walking away from a hotel project in Chicago. The hotel company faced opposition from the community over plans for a 206-room, 64-story hotel with 17 condos in the rear of the landmark Seagram Building, and construction at the site stopped months ago.

Franchising is essential to the hotel business, says franchising expert Stanley Turkel, who suggests many franchising agreements are skewed in favor of the franchisor. Franchisees and franchisors are in different businesses, says Turkel, who advises potential franchisees to seek out help before signing a deal.

In an interview with Hotel Interactive, American Hotel & Lodging Association President Joseph McInerney said condo-hotels have become the "flavor of the month," with residential and retail components becoming essential for significant urban hotels and resorts to compete. McInerney said labor issues are among the most pressing facing the industry.